Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-11-25


"slugs," and Mr.. Zirke used q long pole
to stir the "yarmint" ont. The forces
were to much for the cat, and 10 short
while it made It's appearance only TO SKIER
death instantly from murderous lse
from the gun in bIr. Rice's hands.
%. -
Communicated.
School Official and District Chickering'S.
JERICHO, Nov. l., 1851
There were many things said aud done
within our hearing during the several
weeks Immediately preceding the late
election that started Your correspondent
to thinking, and he has thought u great
deal since, and he will now commit some
Of his thoughts to paper "to he read Of all
men," If they succeed in causing some Of
our fcllow-countrymen to think and act
more prudently in the future than they
have in the past, the undersigned will con
slider his time not to have been spent in
vain. Under our law the Trustee Electo.
raj Board appoints the district trustees
three in each district. Their duties are
various and important. Ineiiiciency on
their part, whether arising from their in
competency to discharge, or neglect Of
duties, is fatally destructive to the pros
perity, if not to the very existence of the
schools under their charge. The law pro-
vides that the trustees shall employ the
teachers, fix their salaries ard dismiss
them for incompctency. neglect OF duty,
cruelty or immortality. II is their duty to
visit the schools from time to time, and 10
see that they are conducted according 10
law. and with the utmost efficiency. To
explain and enforce the school laws and
Themselves observe the same. To suspend
or dismiss pupils when the prosperity and
efficiency OF The school make it necessary.
To take care Of, manage and control the
school property Of the district These are
only n few Of the important and compli-
Gated duties devolved by orr law on dis
trict trustees. the most Of whom are with
ont thu proper experience aud command
Of time 20 attend wisely, efficiently and
economically 20 the vital interests under
their control. These public school inter
esls requirs the best attention, and hought
and xiii Of the best experience in public
school management and provision. Many
Of these trustees are good business men
reliable, efficient, energetic each in the
pursuit Of his own vocation, bat some OF
them are very poor managers of schools,
partly because they are without the prop
er experience and command Of time to at
tend to these multifarious and important
duties by law conferred upon them. And
it should be borne IN mind that two-thirds
Of our trustees are serving without money
and without price, and each has his own
private business 10 attend 10, and cannot
give his best attention to any public in
terest whose management pays him moth
ing. We may look for our school manage
mont, school provision, ard school inter
csts to be very carelessly, indifierently,
and unprohtably seen after until onr
trustees are paid such salaries as will
Justify their studying the system. Not
withstanding this system Of free schools
was inaugurated III Yirginian in ls1o tho
average trustee il to-day rs destitute of
knowledge a. TO what il advantageous 70
the free schools az the average black
smith wonld be rs to what medicine shonld
be administered TO give immediate relief
in n case Of cramp collie. Men who know
nothing whatever Of teaching, whose busl-
ness or inclinations forbids even the visit
ing Of schools long enough to learn any
thing whatever Of the teachers ability TO
do what he was hired TO do, accept the
Office of trustee, and then shirk their duty
and shift the responsibility upon the pa
irons, the majority of whom know no
more about what qualifications an appli-
can. should possess in order TO reach the
acme of success in teaching than the old
matron did about novels when, on being
asked # she liked them, replied, oval, !
don't know exactly, meyer tasted any
but guess If they were well fried could
eat fewn School trustees who have alb
solute power "a wise provision Of the law
10 employ the persons who teach the
children of our land in the public schools,
have resting upon them q vast response
biliiy. Plato in the long ago, said that
in any nation the children are the mines
Of greatest wealth in that nation. II that
was true then it is equally true now. But
those mines need working, and in order
that the nations may reap full benefit OF
their riches, they need efficient working.
According 10 the school law. men are app
pointed az school trustees and placed 10
charge Of the working forces OF those
mines Upon the trustees, therefore, rests
the whole responsibility Of selecting
miners who are able TO exhumo fully the
hidden treasure.
Are our trustees awake
DO they realize the weight Of the re-
sponsiblity' Do they try to acquaini
themselves with the capacities, abilities,
oornestness succcss. manhood and wO.